It still seems kind of silly, though, how they left their side of the wormhole so lightly defended, even when they knew how aggressive Dominion was being.

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The AQ terminus of the wormhole was far more highly defended than the GQ terminus, considering the far side of the wormhole opened up nowhere near Dominion space. Remember, it took a couple years for the Dominion to really notice the AQ traffic entering their neighborhood. It wasn't like the wormhole opened up in their backyard. The Dominion had no reason to bar traffic through the wormhole, since it wasn't in their territory.

Again, telling the Federation to stay on their side of the wormhole and out of the GQ would be like China telling the US to stay out of the Pacific - an unrealistic and unreasonable request meant to provoke and provide a cause for hostilities.

Do we actually know for a fact the far side of the wormhole didn't open up in Dominion territory (i.e. do we have a direct canon reference for that )? As far as I know, the area might have been an unregarded backyard of the dominion with an extremely tenuous Dominion presence ...

Do we actually know for a fact the far side of the wormhole didn't open up in Dominion territory (i.e. do we have a direct canon reference for that )? As far as I know, the area might have been an unregarded backyard of the dominion with an extremely tenuous Dominion presence ...

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There are numerous references to the Defiant setting a course for "Dominion space" or being far away from "Dominion space" when visiting the Gamma Quadrant, and there is no indication that the Dominion ever claimed the GQ terminus of the Wormhole as its territory.

There are numerous references to the Defiant setting a course for "Dominion space" or being far away from "Dominion space" when visiting the Gamma Quadrant, and there is no indication that the Dominion ever claimed the GQ terminus of the Wormhole as its territory.

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Ah, thank you. However, 'setting course for dominion space' could still be interpreted as 'set course for a major Dominion presence hub as to get into contact with some dominion representatives / get their attention quickly'.

There was no real way to prevent the war, beyond the attempt to destroy the wormhole. The Dominion was making aggressive moves against Alpha Quadrant powers from the very start of Gamma Quadrant exploration. Making first contact through giving a list of ships your empire destroyed is not a good start, at all. The war was guaranteed the moment the Dominion got a foothold in Alpha Quadrant space.

It still seems kind of silly, though, how they left their side of the wormhole so lightly defended, even when they knew how aggressive Dominion was being.

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The AQ terminus of the wormhole was far more highly defended than the GQ terminus, considering the far side of the wormhole opened up nowhere near Dominion space. Remember, it took a couple years for the Dominion to really notice the AQ traffic entering their neighborhood. It wasn't like the wormhole opened up in their backyard. The Dominion had no reason to bar traffic through the wormhole, since it wasn't in their territory.

Again, telling the Federation to stay on their side of the wormhole and out of the GQ would be like China telling the US to stay out of the Pacific - an unrealistic and unreasonable request meant to provoke and provide a cause for hostilities.

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There is no such thing as a perfect situation in life.

By traversing the Gamma Quadrant, the Dominion simply got madder and madder. Look, not everybody is rational, and not everybody even holds the same concept of rationality. The Dominion detested solids, and to them annihilating any solid in their domain/sphere of influence is rational.

Besides, to use your China example, I think not going to the Yellow Sea or Sea of China in a state of cold war makes absolute sense.

I wasn't raising China as an example to discuss real politics, but the point is that there is such a thing as international water, and claiming international water doesn't mean everyone else is obliged to recognize that claim. The Dominion can claim the entire Gamma Quadrant if they want, but they can't realistically enforce the claim. Backing down in the face of irrationality isn't a good way to peacefully coexist. The Dominion, given an inch, would happily take a mile. "A simple threat keeps them out of our side of the anomaly; what can we accomplish with force?"

There are numerous references to the Defiant setting a course for "Dominion space" or being far away from "Dominion space" when visiting the Gamma Quadrant, and there is no indication that the Dominion ever claimed the GQ terminus of the Wormhole as its territory.

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The wormhole that opened in the GQ side definitely wasn't in Dominion space, but you can be damn sure they eventually claimed it for themselves when they learned of the wormhole's existence. It was too important not to claim, especially since we know they took what they wanted.

I wasn't raising China as an example to discuss real politics, but the point is that there is such a thing as international water, and claiming international water doesn't mean everyone else is obliged to recognize that claim. The Dominion can claim the entire Gamma Quadrant if they want, but they can't realistically enforce the claim. Backing down in the face of irrationality isn't a good way to peacefully coexist. The Dominion, given an inch, would happily take a mile. "A simple threat keeps them out of our side of the anomaly; what can we accomplish with force?"

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And yet as the Founders felt hating all solids was rational entering the Gamma Quadrant would inflame more tensions. They may take that as flagrant dismissal of their point and get more brazen.

Either way, the war still IMO was inevitable, and any reasoning with the Dominion would have been futile.

The Founders hated all Solids, true, but not entering the Gamma Quadrant wasn't going to change that. So why capitulate? We agree the war was inevitable, though, because the Founders were intent on subduing all Solids, wherever they traveled.

Could the Dominion War have been avoided, anything is possible, but in this case I think the only other realistic option was delaying the war until a few years down the road. As has been said the Founders did not like Solids of any kind, and would only feel safe until all the solids had been subdued.

I just wonder what the Borg would have had to say about that. They may not have been able to assimilate a Founder but a Vorta or Jem'Hadar or Dominion ship would have given what they needed to fight the Dominion.

By traversing the Gamma Quadrant, the Dominion simply got madder and madder. Look, not everybody is rational, and not everybody even holds the same concept of rationality. The Dominion detested solids, and to them annihilating any solid in their domain/sphere of influence is rational.

Besides, to use your China example, I think not going to the Yellow Sea or Sea of China in a state of cold war makes absolute sense.

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I would say their cause for alarm was rationally motivated. Think Native Americans losing their lands and way of life acre-by-acre. Also factor in The Founders history and experience of being persecuted. It was their reaction to that alarm and their solution for it that was irrational.

And the Dominion trying to claim ALL the GQ would be like the Federation claiming ALL the AQ. They could claim it all they want but that wouldn't make it true. The Dominion was, by my understanding, a terrorist state - a North Korea or Iran so to speak.

The Dominion pretty much is an aggressive power determined to bring all under their banner. Appeasing them is pretty much akin to Chamberlain and Daladier appeasing Hitler. They'd just demand something else. Even the Search touched on this when the Dominion was testing how much the Federation would appease their demands in the name of peace in that scenario. In the end it only takes one to start a war, even if the Dominion's political maneuvering put the Federation in the position of striking the first blow.

Could the war have been avoided? Sure. The most obvious answer is to collapse the wormhole early on before there is time pressure of an approaching fleet and changeling infiltrators to sabotage such efforts. Though this would pretty much alienate Bajor from the Federation, which is something Sisko was reluctant to do to say the least.